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BEAR-PROOF

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. [Luke 4:13 (NLT)]

Many people are unaware that south Florida is home to more than 1,000 black bears. Highly intelligent animals with a sense of smell that is seven times greater than a bloodhound’s, they can easily sniff out and find food. Opportunistic creatures, they take advantage of whatever is easily available (often man’s garbage). It’s estimated that they can smell a food source from as far away as 20 miles and, once they’ve found a good source like a berry patch, a stand of beech trees, or a trash can, they will continue to return to the same location for years. Relocated bears have been known to travel as much as 120 miles to return to an abundant food source.

While people are smarter than bears, we’re impatient and rarely willing to inconvenience ourselves or spend time solving a problem. Because the bear-proof dumpster we had in Colorado was difficult to unlock, it often was left unlatched and, even though they know they should wait until morning, our Florida neighbors find it easier to put out their garbage the night before pick-up. Bears, while not as smart as humans, are tenacious and will spend hours solving a problem if food is involved. No dummies, after determined bears in our Colorado town learned they could open the doors of Subarus, no unlocked Subaru in town was safe.

Satan is as opportunistic and tenacious as any black bear. Rather than sniffing out the aroma of a garbage can, he has an uncanny way of sniffing out our vulnerabilities and spotting our weaknesses. Think of the story of Job. When Satan couldn’t get him to curse God by taking his wealth and livestock, servants, herdsmen, workers, and children, he came back and took his health. Although Job never cursed God, he lost perspective and cursed the day he was born. Determined and unwilling to admit defeat, perhaps Satan was behind the words of condemnation spoken by Job’s wife and friends. When the devil failed to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, he departed “until the next opportunity.” The enemy does not give up easily. He may change tactics a bit but, like the Terminator, he’ll be back.

As for the bears that can open car doors: once they’re inside, the door often closes and traps them. Before they manage to make an exit, the car’s interior is wrecked and the bear has done what it usually does in the woods! When the enemy finds us vulnerable and attacks, he can do the same thing to our lives!

One of the ways to prevent Satan’s attacks is to be self-aware. Recovery programs often use the acronym HALT as a reminder. Standing for hungry, angry, lonely and tired, these feelings make us vulnerable to Satan. While we often think of hunger as that grumble in our tummies, it is more. Hunger is dissatisfaction, frustration, a desire for something more or different and often has nothing to do with food. Anger isn’t just being mad at someone; it’s holding on to unforgiveness, hostility, and resentment and often includes casting blame. While lonely seems self-explanatory, we can feel isolated, deserted, and desolate even when surrounded by people. Being tired can be physical exhaustion, but it also can be feeling drained by circumstances (or people) or wanting to abandon both hope and effort.

Being aware of these feelings helps us take extra precautions to protect ourselves. We redouble our efforts to worship with praise and thanksgiving, gather in Christian fellowship, study God’s Word, and pray; we may even need to seek Christian counseling. When we leave ourselves vulnerable with hunger, anger, loneliness, or tiredness, we’re little safer from the enemy’s attack than people who keep their food in their tents when camping, store garbage outside, don’t lock their Subarus, or fail to latch bear-proof dumpsters. Whether from bears or Satan, we’re just asking for trouble.

Satan loves to fish in the troubled waters of a discontented heart. [Thomas Watson]

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. [1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)]

But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. [2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NLT)]